Botswana’s gambling industry sees strong growth in March 2025
Only 40% of 550,000 bettors in Botswana use legal betting platforms.
Botswana.- The Botswana Gambling Authority has reported that players in its jurisdiction wagered a total of P150 million (€9.64m) in March 2025.
The Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, Emolemo Peter Kesitilwe, made the revelation at Bet267’s launch event held in Mogoditshane last Thursday. According to him, from the total handle, the nation’s gambling operators recorded a revenue of P15 million (€1.04m) in the month.
Kesitilwe added that while an estimated 550,000 people in Botswana engage in betting, only 40 per cent currently use licensed operators. The CEO noted that this figure means a large number of bettors are exposed to unregulated platforms, which threatens consumer safety and deprives the nation of substantial tax revenue.
Based on March 2025’s P15 million revenue, Kesitilwe projects the gambling industry could earn P180 million (€11.5m) annually, even with only 40 per cent market penetration. He pointed out that if the gap is closed, potential annual revenue could exceed P450 million (€28.8m).
Major Reforms to Bridge Gap
Kesitilwe noted that the Authority is leading major regulatory reforms to increase legal market penetration, including proposed changes to the 2012 Gambling Act and a review of the outdated 2002 policy.
With the reforms, the regulator seeks to align the gambling industry with global standards and address key issues like money laundering and digital gaming regulation. The Authority also plans to reduce the legal gambling age from 21 to 18.
Kesitilwe said: “We are not just regulating. We are rebuilding a smarter, safer and more sustainable industry.”
Botswana’s ambitious betting revenue target is inspired by regional peers, especially South Africa, which is home to a thriving gambling sector that boasts around P30 billion (€1.92bn) in annual revenue from 6 million active gamblers.
